When celebrated British wine authority Steven Spurrier dropped by 麻豆传媒映画last month to participate in a 鈥淛udgment of Paris鈥�-style blind tasting (organized by the B.C. Wine Institute), the focus, quite correctly, was on the wines. However, after B.C. fizzled in the Chardonnay round but shone (three out of five top spots) in Syrah, Mr. Spurrier had plenty of nice things to say not only about B.C wines, which he described 鈥渟ensational,鈥� but also about the cuisine he encountered during his six-day stay.
There鈥檚 no question the B.C. wine industry has been a key player in providing much-needed momentum for regional cuisine, which was barely identifiable before the Okanagan spread its wings.
Spurrier made his comments at a wrap-up dinner at l鈥橝battoir, which yielded no shortage of evidence as to how much culinary talent there is in Vancouver. L鈥橝battoir鈥檚 Lee Cooper, along with guest chefs Bernard Casavant, Vikram Vij and Scott Jaeger, pulled out all the stops with a string of extraordinary plates that showcased local ingredients from squab to Dungeness crab and lingcod.
While Vij鈥檚 鈥淒emocracy of lamb, three curried mistresses鈥� was paired with the top-scoring red wine (CC Jentsch Syrah 2012), the other plates and matches were equally dazzling. All were sound reminders of the calibre of B.C. cuisine and depth of culinary talent that we too easily take for granted.
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No small Feast
A key building block over the last couple of decades, Feast of Fields was one of the earliest events that helped shape our awareness of all things regional and sustainable. Modeled on the Ontario celebration created by chef Michael Stadtlander with Jamie Kennedy, Vancouver鈥檚 FarmFolkCityFolk unveiled the inaugural 麻豆传媒映画鈥淔east鈥� in 1995, which has since grown to include wandering grazes on 麻豆传媒映画Island, Whistler/Pemberton and in the Okanagan.
The 21st Feast of Fields runs this Sunday, Sept. 13, 1-5pm at . Details and tickets at .
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Arrivals and departures
CinCin (1154 Robson St., 604-688-7338) celebrates a quarter century with a special, four-course 25th anniversary menu, until Oct. 5th ($79 per person plus tax and gratuity). Full menu at
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Restaurants do come and go. Witness the long-running Fish House in Stanley Park is set to close at the end of September, when the current management has said it will not renew its park board lease.
Originating as a club house in 1929, the heritage building became the destination fine dining in the 1970s when it was known as the Beach House until 1990 when The Fish House opened. The restaurant flourished under ground-breaking chef Karen Barnaby, who ran the kitchen for 17 years (after The Raintree). Barnaby became one of Canada鈥檚 most successful women chefs in a male dominated industry and published a string of best-selling books dedicated to a heart smart or low carb mantra 鈥� proving that good dining could indeed be healthy.
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A familiar face, Patrick Corsi has unveiled Baccano Osteria & Bar in the former Smoking Dog space. The room has seen a facelift and updating, with an expanded bar, along with marble and mahogany details. Although, it still retains a certain intimacy 鈥� and its sunny, Cornwall mews patio. Corsi aims for a more casual feel, with a compact menu featuring share plates and crostini, with house-made pickles, classic pastas (yes there鈥檚 spaghetti puttanesca of Corsi Trattoria fame), fresh seafood and more. .
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Belly鈥檚 Best
Boutari Naoussa 2011
Next time you鈥檙e shopping for a good pasta or pizza wine, check out this medium-bodied, good-value Greek red. Pop it in a big glass and you鈥檒l be surprised by its earthy, savoury edge, cherry, chocolate notes and racy acidity that plays nicely with robust tomato sauces. BCLS $15.79, 90 pts.
